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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
helitack RWSC Rotor Wing Subcommittee Approved The utilization of helicopters to transport crews, equipment, and fire retardants or suppressants to the fireline during the initial stages of a fire. The term also refers to the crew that performs helicopter management and attack activities.
helitack crew RWSC Rotor Wing Subcommittee Approved A crew of firefighters specially trained and certified in the tactical and logistical use of helicopters for fire suppression.
helitank AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Specially designed tank, generally of fabric or metal, fitted closely to the bottom of a helicopter and used for transporting and dropping suppressants or fire retardants.
helitanker AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved A helicopter equipped with a fixed tank, Airtanker Board certified, capable of delivering a minimum of 1,100 gallons of water, foam, or retardant.
helitorch AMC Aviation Management Committee, ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved An aerial ignition device hung from or mounted on a helicopter to disperse ignited lumps of gelled gasoline. Used for backfires, burnouts, or prescribed burns.
hemodynamic EMSC Emergency Medical Subcommittee Approved Relating to or functioning in the mechanics of blood circulation.
herb FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved A plant that does not develop woody, persistent tissue but is relatively soft or succulent and sprouts from the base (perennials) or develops from seed (annuals) each year. Includes grasses, forbs and ferns.
herbaceous fuel moisture FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved In NFDRS, a calculated value representing the approximate moisture content of the live herbaceous vegetation in the rating area expressed as a percentage of the oven dry weight of the sample.
herbaceous stage FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved The modeled condition of herbaceous vegetation (pre-green, green-up, transition, cured, frozen) for the 1978 version of NFDRS.
hidden fire scar FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Fire scar in a tree resulting from fire injury to the cambium without destruction of the overlying bark and therefore not readily discernible.
Higbee Cut ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Removal of the first (i.e., outside) thread of a female or male coupling to prevent crossing or mutilation of threads. Dimpled rocker lug on female coupling indicates beginning of Higbee Cut.
high expansion ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Foam with an expansion between 201:1 and 1000:1.
high fire risk day IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved A day when an ignition trigger and/or significant weather trigger and an appropriate fuel dryness level combine to create conditions that historically have resulted in a significant fire event for a particular area.
high pressure fog ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Small capacity spray jet produced at very high pressures (greater than 250 psi, the normal maximum pressure for standard ground tankers) and discharged through a small hose with a gun-type nozzle.
hill (topographic) PMC Fire Planning Management Committee, QMC Qualifications Management Committee, QSSC Qualifications Systems Subcommittee, LMC Logistic and Equipment Management Committee Approved A naturally occuring mass of earth material whose crest or summit is at a lower elevation than a mountain.
historical weather station FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved In WIMS, a weather station that is no longer in service for which access to archived observations is still available in NIFMID.
holding actions FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved All actions taken to stop the spread of fire.
holding orbit ASSC Aerial Supervision Subcommittee Approved A predetermined maneuver which keeps an aircraft within a specified airspace while awaiting further orders.
holding resources FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Resources assigned to do all required fire suppression work following fireline construction but generally not including extensive mopup.
holdover fire FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved A fire that remains dormant for a considerable time.
home IMC Integration Management Committee, DCSC Dispatch Coordination Subcommittee Approved An adjective that describes a permanent place associated with a resource.
home assessment PIC Public Information Management Committee, EPSC Education & Prevention Subcommittee Approved Evaluation of a dwelling and its immediate surrounding to determine its potential to escape damage by an approaching wildland fire. Includes the fuels and vegetation in the yard and adjacent to the structure, roof environment, decking and siding materials, prevailing winds, topography, fire history, etc., with the intent of mitigating fire hazards and risks. 
home dispatch unit IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved The NWCG Unit Identifier of the center primarily responsible for dispatching the resource.
Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) WMSC WUI Mitigation Subcommittee Archived The area where the factors that principally determine home ignition potential during extreme wildfire behavior (high fire intensities and burning embers) are present. The characteristics of a home and its immediate surroundings within 100 feet comprise the HIZ.
home location IMC Integration Management Committee, DCSC Dispatch Coordination Subcommittee Approved The physical location of a resource when not on assignment.
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